Revision Notes: Projectile Motion

1. Definition

Projectile motion is the motion of an object thrown or projected into the air and subject only to
the force of gravity and air resistance (if present). It follows a curved path known as a trajectory.

2. Key Concepts

● Initial Velocity: The velocity at which the object is projected.

● Angle of Projection: The angle at which the object is projected relative to the horizontal.
● Gravity: The force acting vertically downward, affecting the object's trajectory.
● Air Resistance: Optional force opposing the motion, affecting the object's velocity.

3. Equations of Motion

Projectile motion can be analyzed using the following equations:

● Horizontal Motion: x(t)=v0cos⁡(θ)⋅tx(t) = v_0 \cos(\theta) \cdot tx(t)=v0​cos(θ)⋅t

○ v0v_0v0​: Initial velocity magnitude
○ θ\thetaθ: Angle of projection
○ ttt: Time
● Vertical Motion: y(t)=v0sin⁡(θ)⋅t−12gt2y(t) = v_0 \sin(\theta) \cdot t - \frac{1}{2} g
t^2y(t)=v0​sin(θ)⋅t−21​gt2
○ ggg: Acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s29.8 \, \text{m/s}^29.8m/s2 on Earth)
○ y(t)y(t)y(t): Vertical displacement at time ttt
● Time of Flight: T=2v0sin⁡(θ)gT = \frac{2 v_0 \sin(\theta)}{g}T=g2v0​sin(θ)​
○ Total time the projectile remains in the air.
● Maximum Height: H=v02sin⁡2(θ)2gH = \frac{v_0^2 \sin^2(\theta)}{2g}H=2gv02​sin2(θ)​
○ Maximum height reached by the projectile.

4. Range of Projectile

● Range: The horizontal distance RRR covered by the projectile before landing back on
the same horizontal level from which it was launched.
○ R=v02sin⁡(2θ)gR = \frac{v_0^2 \sin(2\theta)}{g}R=gv02​sin(2θ)​

5. Trajectory

● Parabolic Path: The trajectory of a projectile follows a parabolic path due to the
constant acceleration of gravity.

6. Factors Affecting Projectile Motion

● Initial Velocity: Higher initial velocities result in longer ranges and greater heights.
 ● Angle of Projection: Optimal angles (typically 45∘45^\circ45∘ for maximum range)
maximize the range.
● Air Resistance: Negligible in ideal cases but can affect real-world applications.

7. Real-World Applications

● Sports: Projectile motion is fundamental in sports like basketball, soccer, and javelin.
● Engineering: Used in designing and analyzing trajectories of missiles, rockets, and
satellites.
● Physics Experiments: Studied to understand motion under gravitational influence.

8. Projectile Motion in Two Dimensions

● Component Motion: Resolve the initial velocity into horizontal and vertical components
to analyze independently.
● Vector Addition: Combine horizontal and vertical motions using vector addition to
determine resultant displacement at any time.

9. Projectiles Launched from Heights

● Additional Vertical Displacement: When launched from a height hhh above the
ground, adjust the initial vertical position in equations.

10. Summary

Projectile motion is a fundamental concept in physics and engineering, describing the motion of
objects under the influence of gravity alone. Understanding its equations, factors affecting it, and
applications is crucial in various fields, from sports to space exploration. The parabolic
trajectory, range, and time of flight are key parameters used to analyze and predict the motion of
projectiles in real-world scenarios.